The Most Beautiful and Fascinating Architectural Wonders to Visit in India

A keen-eyed architect could guide us to the many architectural marvels India houses, but to most of our untrained eyes, they remain lost and unappreciated. India has structural masterpieces built by some of the best minds in the country. Here’s nine of the best to try and visit.

Napier Museum

The Napier Museum is one of its kind in its Indo-Saracenic Revival façade and wood-carved interiors that speak of traditional Kerala architecture style. Situated a little outside Trivandrum, Kerala’s capital city, the home-turned-museum is an unmistakable, delightful view, with its minarets and red mound blocks!

LD Institute of Indology

One of Balkrishna Doshi’s first public building designs as an independent architect, the LD Institute of Indology is a bold work of his imagination. The Brise-soleil and peripheral shade area is typically Indian.

Tagore Memorial Wall

Another gem by Balkrishna Doshi, the Tagore Memorial Hall is one of the best buildings of Brutalism, India has produced. Vertical concrete folds 17-meters high, deck the building’s façade. The building rests on individual and strip footings.

Prathama Blood Centre

A complicated yet simple structure, the Prathama Blood Centre for advanced transfusion in Ahmedabad is made of three shell-like atriums built by Matharoo Associates. Curved walls, rectilinear laboratories were thoughtfully planned to take away the repulsion of hard medical work involving blood transfusion.

Auroville

Auroville’s main attraction is Matrimandir, the golden dome structure that took 37 years to build. A place of meditation and yoga, the structure was initially conceptualised by Mirra Alfasa, known as ‘The Mother’ worldwide. The Geodesic dome is covered with golden discs on the outside that reflect light and make it a glistening sight!

Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple in Delhi was designed as a half-open lotus by Fariborz Sabha who had travelled across India before designing the Bahai faith temple. The structure consists of three layers of petals. The outer one has nine petals and are called the entrance leaves.

The Bombay Art Society

This building is not for those who like pretty architecture and dainty details. The Bombay Art Society, built by Sanjay Puri Architects has seamless vertical and horizontal bits moving fluidly. The building mostly comprises of offices.

Infosys, Pune

Built by Pune architect and engineer Dhananjay Dhake, the Infosys office building is a marvel at first sight. Built to look like a spaceship, the building is environment friendly and can harvest rain water.